MCC Makes $75,000 in Emergency Funding Available to Help Students During COVID-19 Move to Online Coursework

MANCHESTER, Conn. (April 2, 2020) – Manchester Community College has established a special COVID-19 emergency fund of unrestricted monies totaling $75,000 to be used to respond to student needs during the crisis.

MCC, along with the rest of the CSCU community colleges, moved all spring 2020 coursework to online formats when it became apparent that the pandemic will have a strong impact on the state of Connecticut. Many students — because of the nature of their courses of study, which require significant hands-on and lab-based work to complete — are challenged by this transition.

The fund is supported by MCC Foundation, which generously allocated this block grant. Unrestricted funds are free of donor designation to benefit. particular programs or scholarships, and so give the college the ability to distribute at its discretion.

“We are very grateful to the foundation for this generous allocation of a block grant. This unrestricted funding will give the college latitude to provide more emergency funding to students who have unexpected personal needs, such as childcare and reduced income,” MCC Interim CEO Tanya Millner said.

“We do not want this crisis to derail our students’ ability to stay on track,” she said. “We acknowledge their need to make their health and the health of their loved ones and families a priority. This generous block grant from our foundation provides another means of support so students can attend to their increased responsibilities while continuing to pursue their educational goals.”

Rosemarie Papa, MCC Foundation president, added, “For 52 years, MCC Foundation has worked tirelessly to help local students pursue their educational dreams. The foundation recognizes that many of our students are facing unprecedented struggles. MCC Foundation is pleased to continue to provide students with the kind of support they need to overcome challenges as they pursue their educations and plan for a brighter future.”

Students are encouraged to make their needs for emergency aid known by visiting this link and filling out the online form: {Link disabled 4/30/2020, emergency funding exhausted.}

About MCC Foundation

Manchester Community College Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)3 Connecticut corporation governed by a volunteer board of directors, composed of business and community leaders. The foundation secures funding to assist the college in achieving its mission and goals through support of programs, scholarships and equipment.